Hand-actuated brake mechanism.



J. s. Y. FRALIOH. HAND AGTUATED BRAKE MBUHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APLB, 191 3.

1,066,594. Patented July 8,1913

UNITED STATES aoHN-s. YIFRALICH, or PITTSBURGH, PEN

GOMPANY, "OF"NEW"Y'RK,' N."Y.,

PATENT OFFICE.

NSYLVAflIAjASSIGNOR r0 RATCHET 83am:

AconPoRA'noN OF DELAWARE.

'HAND-ACTU'ATED BRAKE MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be itknown that L-JoHtN S. Y. FRApIoH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny hereby declare the following to be a full,

clearfand' exact description of the invention,

'10 such as will-enable others-skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

' Thepresent invention relates'to' hand-act uated brake-mechanism of the kind in which an' oscillating movement of the operating lever through-a suitable'angle is used to app'lythe brakes, the operating lever being normallyclutched to the brake staff in the brake-mpplying direction of -movement, and

beingnormailiy unclutched therefrom in' the retracting dii'ection of movement ;and it re latesinore particularly to-auxiliary means in such an'drganization Tor-positively connecting the operating lever'to thebrake staff in the retracting direction of movement in or der to -positively turnthe brake staff and thereby take the tension off the hand brake 'rods incase the brake releasing movement is arrested "before the chain or other connection-{is entirely slacked; a condition which quite frequently occurs in the practical operation" of railway brakes, and which may ord inarilybe overcome bya positive movement of the brake staff in-the releasing direction.

In "brake mechanism pfthe kind mentioned,"'one' clutch member is 'usually connected to the operating lever and-a cooperatin clutch member is usually connected to the 'rakestaff, the two clutch members being operatively engaged in one direction of the oscillating movement of the operating lever and "beingdisengaged in the reverse direction, The idea embodied in this invention maybe applied to such mechanism by providing auxiliary means for operatively connecting the operating lever to the brake staff in the direction of the retractin movement, so that the brake staff may e=positivelv turned in that direction to force the mechanism to the point at which the brake shoes may have suiiicient clearance on the wheels. This auxiliary connection" is preferabiy, though not necessarily, a positive one, permitting the direct actuation of the brake stafi in either direction.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application med A ril 8,

Patented-July 8,1913. 191a. Serial No. 759,650.

invention, it is illustrated as'applied to the form of hand-actuated brake-mechanism described in United States Patent Number 934,935, of September 21, 1909. However, it is to be understood that the utilit of the invention is in no wise limited to t is form ,plicable to various forms of oscillating brake mechanism within the broad interpretation of the'appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical elevation, partly in section, showing the brake staff and the actuating mechanism therefor; Fig. 2 is a vertical elevation, partly in section, showing the u per part of the mechanism in position for e ecting the auxiliary positive connection between the brake staff and the lever; and Fig. '3 is aplan view of the upper part of the mechanism.

The 'brake'actuating mechanism may be installed in or on a passenger or freight car at any convenient place at which the brake rigging may be connected to it by a chain or otherwise in any suitable. way. The brake staii l is supported at its upper end in a-hearing'in the bracket 2, which is ada ted to be fastened toa suitable support or holding the actuating-mechanism rigidly in place. This bracket-.aiso carries an up. wardly extending circular flange 3 adapted to fit within the circular 'groove 4 on the under side of'the housing base 5 in such manner that the housing may be turned around-until the lug 6 thereon comes against the stationary abutment 7 on the bracket at the limit of its movement in the brake rcleasing direction. The upper part of the housing consists of a cylindrical cap 8 of such shape as to conveniently it the hand of the brakeman. The housing base has two lugs, between which extends the bolt 0 for a pivot connection to the operating lever 10. The inner end of the operating lever is shaped to a. cam surface 11 adapted to engage the stationary flange 3 and thereby lift the housing 5, 8 when the iever is moved from its horizontal position to its vertical position. The face ratchet 12 is fastened on the brake staii by the pin l3. while the co operative face ratchet 14 is, in the embodiment shown, integral with the housing and tie positively connected to the cap 8 by the pin 15 fitting within the circumferential of mechanism, but on the contrary, it is-ap-' In the following specific disclosure of the Y groove 16 on the hub of the ratchet and a tangential groove in the cap, as shown. The

ratchet M has a cut-away portion to permit the projection thereinto'of'the inner end of the operating lever as shown in Fig. 1.

The arrangement of the face.-ratchets-12 and 14, forming the cotipel'ative clutch members between the o crating lever and the brake staff, is such that when the operating lever is raised to its horizontal position, the y. "housing"p5.rts5 and 8 fallby their own weight until the teeth of the face ratchets operatively engage each other as shown in in Fig. I, while, when the operatlever is moved to its vertical position,

the 'housing parts and the face ratchet 14 are raised until the ratchets are entirely disengaged, as shown in broken lines in Fig. -1.

Thus, when it is desired toapply the brakes,

the operating lever is brought to its horizontal operating position, and it is then the brake staff from releasing during this retracting period. I

For the purpose of establishing a direct connection between the lever and the brake staff, in case the brake releasing movement is arrested as a result of a binding action orother causes, or if, for any other reason it becomes desirable to effect 'such a direct connection, ,I provide in the specific form of brake mechanism herein disclosed, a pin 19 extending-through the brake staff and out-' wardly therefrom on both sides at a place.

above the top of the hub of the ratchet 14 when the operating lever occupies its vertical position. The housing maybe raised above this position to the point at which the extremities of this pin 19 lie within the grooves 20 or 21 to-positively connect the housing and the operating lever to the brake staff. If the operating lever now be turned in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3,

the brake staff will forced in the direction to slack the. chaln or other connection to the brakes, and this movement may be Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each by addressing the Commissioner 7 v I Washington, D. Q."

The teeth repeated until the connection is engirely slackened or until the tendency of the rake staff to resist the releasing movement is overi requiring that the brakeman move from the place of the brake actuating mechanism.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In hand-actuated brake mechanism, the

combination with a rotatable brake staff, in

about the brake staff, and a clutch adapted to convert the oscillating movement of the lever into a brake-applying movement of the brake staff, of auxiliary means for connectreverse or brake-releasing movement thereof when desired; substantially as described.

about the brake staff, and a clutch adapted to convert the oscillating movement of the lever into a brake-applying movement of the staff, of auxiliary means for effecting a direct connection between the actuating lever and; the brakestafi at will; substantially as and for the purpose described.

. 3. In hand-actuated brake-mechanism, a

- rotatable brake stafi", an operating lever adapted to be oscillated about the brake staff, a face ratchet fastened on the brake staff, and a coiiperating faceratchet op and provided with engaging notches, said ratchets being arranged to operatively engage each other to convert the oscillating movement of-the lever into a brake-applying movementof the brakestaff, in combination with .apin carried by the brake staff in such notches in the ratchet when the two ratchets are-sufficientlydisengaged from each other, said notches and pin forming a direct connection between the brake staff and the operating lever'; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

" JOHN S. Y. FRALICl-l.

\ W'itnesses:

" ROBERT H. BLACKALL,

W. E, Hown'r'r.

of Patents,

operating lever adapted to be oscillated ing the lever to the brake stafi to effect a- 2. Inhand-actuated brake mechanism, thev combination with a rotatable brake staff, an operating leveradapted to be oscillated.

position as tdbe'engaged at will by theeratively connected to the operating lever 

